Display tray assembly



Feb. 13, H' D. lRwlN DISPLAY TRAY ASSEMBLY Filed Sept. 21, 1932 2Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 13, H D |RW|N DISPLAY TRAY ASSEMBLY 2- Sheets-Sheet2 Y S Filed sept. 21, 1952 Patented Feb. 13, Q

UNITED STATES DISPLAY TRAY ASSEMBLY Hiram D. Irwin, Beckley, W. Va.

Application september 21, 1932 Serial No. 634,245

5 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved display tray assembly for use inconjunction with refrigerators of the general type disclosed in myPatent No. 1,576,328.

One object of the invention is to provide a display tray assembly whichmay be adjusted within the refrigerator as articles are removed fromsaid tray so that articles remaining on the tray will always be disposedfor display in full view of a customer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a display tray assemblywhich will be limited to a vertical movement within a refrigeratorcompartment, said tray being provided with means preventing horizontalswinging of the tray within the compartment.

A further object of the invention is to provide a display tray assemblywhich may be easily and quickly shifted to various desired positions.

And a still further object of the invention is to provide a display trayassembly having a base formed with guide pins for preventing rotatingmovement of the tray in a refrigerator compartment and maintaining saidtray level within the 1 Y 14 which is threaded throughout the majorporcompartment.

Other and incidental objects of the invention, n ot specificallymentioned in the foregoing, will appear during the course of thefollowing descrlption.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view showing two displaytray assemblies in position in a refrigerator,

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional View on the line 2-2 of Figure 1looking in the direction indicated by the arrows,

Figure 3 is an enlarged top plan view of the tray assembly, and

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view on the line Ll--4 ofFigure 3 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicatesin general a refrigerator of the type disclosed in my Patent No.1,576,328, which includes a compartment 2 having inner and outer walls 3and 4 defining a water jacket 5. Closing the upper end of thecompartment is a transparent closure 6, of any approved construction.

It is to be understood that while I have shown only two compartments inFigure 1 of the drawings, there may be as many compartments as aredesired depending, of course, upon the size of the refrigerator.Inasmuch as the compartments are identical in construction thedescription of a typical one will suffice for all.

In carrying the invention into effect, I employ a base standard 7 whichcomprises intersecting leg members 8 which are arranged diagonally withrespect to the bottom wall of the compartment 2 and snugly but removablyt within the compartment. The leg members are slightly tapered towardtheir free ends and said free ends are adapted snugly to abut the sidewalls of the circular bearing l0 having a flat upper face 11 and 75 arecess 12 in its under side. Formed on the leg members 8, near theirfree ends, are upstanding pins 13 which are uniform in height.

Associated with the base standard 7 is a screw tion of its length and isprovided at its upper portion with a squared portion 15 which is adaptedto receive a wrench. The lower end portionV of the screw is reduced andextends through the bearing 1i), said reduced portion being indicated 8516, within the recess 12, is a cotter key 18 which 90 limits the screwagainst upward movement out of engagement with the bearing 10.

Normally threaded to engage the screw 14 is a preferably light weightcast metal tray supporting plate 19 which is provided with ribs 20 95which are reduced in height toward their free ends. overlying the plate19 is a tray 21 which is provided, at its edges, with an upstandingilange 22. Formed in the tray 21 are openings 23 which permit drainageof water from moist articles carried in the tray. Extending'through thecenter portion of the tray and through the outer end 'portion of thesupporting plate 19 are bolts 24 which serve to rigidly connect the trayand the supporting plate.

When the device is in use installed in the compartment 2, vegetables orother articles which may require a cool place for storage are placed in`the tray 21 where they will be eiectually kept cool by the circulationof Vwater through the jackets 5, or in any other approved manner. Aftera number of the vegetables, or other articles, have been removed fromthe tray, it is obvious that the remaining articles will be located nearthe bottom of the compartment. In order to avoid this it is onlynecessary to rotate the screw 14 which will raise the tray within thecompartment so that the goods may be disposed near the upper portion ofsaid compartment. It will be seen that no matter how few articles may beupon the tray, it will always be possible to display them to their bestadvantage.

Attention is directed to the fact that, inasmuch as I have employedupstanding pins 13 of uniform height near each end portion of the legmembers 8, the tray will be maintained in a level position with respectto the bottom of the compartment. Attention is further directed to thefact that the supporting plate 19 will, when in its lowermost position,rest against the top face l1 of the bearing l0 so that the tray andsupporting plate will be afforded live-point contact. Therefore, dangerof binding and undue wear upon the screw, such as might be caused byteetering of the tray, will be prevented.

It is to be noted that, inasmuch as the base standard '7 is removablymounted in the compartment 2, it will be possible to remove the entiredisplay tray assembly from the compartment as a unit so that, ifdesired, the compartment may be used for some purpose other than thestoring and displaying of vegetables.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that I have provided asimple, yet highly efficient, display tray assembly which may bemanufactured cheaply and which will render the displaying of goods mucheasier.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. A device of the class described including a base standard having legsadapted to abut the corners of a compartment, a screw rotatablyconnected therewith, and a tray connected with the screw and adapted toshift toward or away from the base standard as the screw is rotated,said legs limiting said base standard against horizontal shifting insaid compartment.

2. A device of the class described including a.

and a tray connected with said tray supporting plate, said tray beingadapted to shift toward or away from the base standard as the screw isrotated for displaying an article carried on the tray within thecompartment, and said pins being adapted for spacing said tray from thebase standard whereby said tray may be retained in a horizontal loweredposition.

3. A device of the class described including a base standard adapted toremovably t in a compartment and provided with leg members having endsabutting said compartment, a screw rotatably mounted on the basestandard, and a tray mounted on the screw and adapted to shift toward oraway from the base standard as the screw is rotated, said ends of theleg members preventing horizontal movement of the base standard in thecompartment and said base standard, screw, and tray being removable fromsaid compartment as a unit.

4. A device of the class described including a base standard havingintersecting leg members provided at their end portions with pins, saidbase standard being provided at the intersection of said leg memberswith a bearing, a screw rotatably mounted in the base standard andhaving a reduced portion extending through the bearing, and a traymounted on the screw and adapted to be shifted toward or away from thebase standard as the screw is rotated, said tray being adapted to besupported by said pins at the lower end of the screw.

5. A device of the class described including an X-shaped base standardcomprising intersecting leg members provided at their end portions withpins, said base standard being formed at the intersection of said legmembers with'a bearing having a flat upper face and a recess at itsunder side a screw rotatably mounted in the base standard and having areduced portion L) extending through the bearing and dening a shoulderabutting the fiat upper face, means extending through the reducedportion within the recess for preventing disengagement ofthe screw fromthe bearing, and a tray mounted on the screw and adapted to be shiftedtoward or away from the base standard as the .screw is rotated, saidtray being adapted to be supported by said pins at the lower end of thescrew.

HIRAM D. IRWIN. [L.S.]

